1. Field of the Invention
A clothes drying machine modified or initially structured to force heated, drying air into a tumbler or like structured casing by passing the air over a heat transferring coil through which solar heated fluid continuously and/or selectively flows.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the expense and relative scarcity of fossil fuels, energy costs have risen sharply thereby necessitating conservation of energy in many ways not previously thought important. In the average residential dwelling attempts have been made to lessen the amount of electricity utilized through the installation of various solar energy producing devices. Common among these are the solar collector plates which are particularly structured for the production of heated water and steam and are even incorporated into structures for the production of electricity.
However, modern technology has not yet perfected such solar heating devices and/or the storage of heated water to the extent where the entire household can be efficiently operated without the need for conventional and/or auxiliary forms of energy. Modern day technology, in the solar energy field, has advanced to the point where large amounts of heated water and/or heated fluid can be produced such that certain specific applications are efficient to the extent of saving great quantities of energy and thereby significantly lowering the energy costs for a given residential dwelling.
Such application of the use of solar collector plates are not limited solely to the production of washing and/or drinking water but may be used with other residential appliances such as clothes dryers or the like. Existing United States patents disclosing such appliances initially designed or otherwise structurally modified for the adaptation of solar energy include the patents to Hastings, U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,322; Prager, U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,946 and Commander, U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,082.
While operable for the applications indicated, there is obviously room for improvement in the area of clothes drying assemblies or appliances incorporating the use of solar energy for the production of heated air which is channelled to a tumbler or other type casing in which the actual drying process takes place.